History & Culture
Socio-Religious Reform Movements
GS Paper I
Socio-Religious Reform Movements — Quick Revision
One-page UPSC revision of socio-religious reform: organisations with founders and years, publications, anti-caste movements, women's reform laws and common traps.
SyllabusGS I · Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present — significant events, personalities, issues; role of women and social reform
A last-week sheet for reform movements. Prelims tests organisation + founder + year; learn them in the table below as one block.
Organisations, Founders, Years
| Organisation | Founder(s) | Year | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atmiya Sabha | Rammohan Roy | 1814 | Calcutta |
| Brahmo Sabha / Samaj | Rammohan Roy | 1828 | Calcutta |
| Tattvabodhini Sabha | Debendranath Tagore | 1839 | Calcutta |
| Rahnumai Mazdayasnan Sabha | Naoroji Furdonji, Dadabhai Naoroji and others | 1851 | Bombay |
| Scientific Society | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan | 1864 | Ghazipur |
| Adi Brahmo Samaj / Brahmo Samaj of India | Debendranath / Keshab | 1866 | Calcutta |
| Darul Uloom | Nanautavi, Gangohi | 1866 | Deoband |
| Prarthana Samaj | Atmaram Pandurang | 1867 | Bombay |
| Satyashodhak Samaj | Jyotiba Phule | 1873 | Pune |
| Singh Sabha | — | 1873 | Amritsar |
| Arya Samaj | Dayananda Saraswati | 1875 | Bombay |
| Theosophical Society | Blavatsky, Olcott | 1875 | New York (Adyar from 1882) |
| MAO College | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan | 1875 | Aligarh |
| Sadharan Brahmo Samaj | Ananda Mohan Bose, Shivnath Shastri | 1878 | Calcutta |
| Arya Mahila Samaj | Pandita Ramabai | 1882 | Pune |
| Ahmadiya Movement | Mirza Ghulam Ahmad | 1889 | Qadian |
| Ramakrishna Mission | Swami Vivekananda | 1897 | Belur |
| SNDP Yogam | Sree Narayana Guru (inspiration) | 1903 | Kerala |
| Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham | Ayyankali | 1907 | Kerala |
| Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha | B.R. Ambedkar | 1924 | Bombay |
| Self-Respect Movement | E.V. Ramasamy (Periyar) | 1925 | Tamil region |
| All India Women’s Conference | Margaret Cousins and others | 1927 | — |
Books and Journals
| Work | Author / editor |
|---|---|
| Tuhfat-ul-Muwahhidin; Precepts of Jesus; Sambad Kaumudi; Mirat-ul-Akhbar | Rammohan Roy |
| Satyarth Prakash | Dayananda Saraswati |
| Gulamgiri | Jyotiba Phule |
| Tahzib-ul-Akhlaq | Sir Syed Ahmad Khan |
| Rast Goftar | Parsi reformers (Dadabhai Naoroji) |
| Stri Purush Tulana | Tarabai Shinde |
| Mooknayak; Bahishkrit Bharat | B.R. Ambedkar |
Reform Laws
| Year | Law | Key person |
|---|---|---|
| 1829 | Sati Regulation (XVII) | Bentinck; Rammohan Roy |
| 1856 | Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act | Vidyasagar; Canning |
| 1872 | Native Marriage Act | Keshab Chandra Sen |
| 1891 | Age of Consent Act (12 years) | Malabari; Lansdowne |
| 1929 | Sarda Act (14/18) | Harbilas Sarda; Irwin |
Satyagrahas for Civic Rights
| Satyagraha | Year | Issue / leader |
|---|---|---|
| Vaikom | 1924–25 | Roads near temple — T.K. Madhavan, K.P. Kesava Menon, Periyar |
| Mahad | 1927 | Chavdar tank — Ambedkar |
| Kalaram (Nashik) | 1930 | Temple entry — Ambedkar |
| Guruvayur | 1931–32 | Temple entry — K. Kelappan |
High-yield facts
- 1875: Arya Samaj, Theosophical Society, MAO College — all in one year.
- Brahmo splits: 1866 and 1878 (Cooch Behar marriage).
- Vivekananda at Chicago: 1893. Ramakrishna Mission: 1897.
- Travancore Temple Entry Proclamation: 1936.
Traps
- Tattvabodhini Sabha — Debendranath, not Keshab.
- Self-Respect — Periyar, not Ambedkar.
- Deoband opposed the British; Aligarh supported British rule and modern education.
- Tilak opposed the Age of Consent Act.
Related Topics
- Religious Reform Movements: Brahmo Samaj to Aligarh
- Caste and Gender Reform: Phule to Ambedkar
- Socio-Religious Reform Movements — practice questions
- All quick revision sheets
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